Loading device for loading a magazine of a gun



March 29, 1966 A. G. CARLSSON LOADING DEVICE FOR LOADING A MAGAZINE OF AGUN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 12, 1964 INVENTOR. ARENT GUS 774VCARLSSON BY MM Mb W A TTORNE J March 29, 1966 A. G. CARLSSON 3,242,814

LOADING DEVICE FOR LOADING A MAGAZINE OF A GUN Filed NOV. 12, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 2 /8 IN VEN TOR.

AREA/7' GUSWW CARL S S ON A T rag/vs 7's United States Patent 3,242,814LOADING DEVICE FOR LOADING A MAGAZINE OF A GUN Arent Gustav Carlsson,Karlskoga, Sweden, assignor to Aktieboiaget Bofors, Bofors, Sweden, acorporation of Sweden Filed Nov. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 410,557 Claimspriority, application Sweden, Nov. 19, 1963, 12,776/63 12 Claims. (CI.89-46) The present invention relates to a device for loading a magazinefor rounds of ammunition for use in a gun.

More particularly, the invention relates to a device for use incombination with a gun provided wtih a hoist including a crane boomarranged above the magazine of the gun and protruding rearward of thegun in an essentially horizontal direction. The hoisting device furtherincludes a hoist trolley traveling forward along the boom for bringingone or more rounds contained in a supply or storage case into a positionabove the magazine of the gun and backward for bringing the emptied caseback to the rear end of the boom, the trolley comprising a hoist withwhich the case, after having been brought forward along the boom, islowered down into the magazine for depositing rounds contained therein.

When supplying rounds to the ready magazine by means of a hoist, it isessential that the rounds be deposited in a predetermined position inthe magazine in the shortest possible time.

According to the invention, a rapid filling of the magazine is attainedby providing a hoist which comprises a supply caseguiding deviceincluding a catch arm array comprising at least one catch arm locatedbelow the crane boom and pivotal in a vertical direction about a hingeat the forward end of the arm and forward of the magazine. The rear endof said catch arm comprises a coupling means for disengageableattachment of said end of the arm to a mating coupling means of thesupply case.

In a preferred embodiment the catch arm is so arranged below the craneboom that in its rest positionthat is to say, when not in engagementwith a supply caseit is held by a retaining means in a position in whichit automatically engages the mating coupling means of the supply casewhen the case is brought forward along the crane boom carried by thehoist trolley, said retaining means being releasable by a release meansarranged on the case so as to allow the catch arm to swing downward.

The catch arm or each catch arm on the case-guiding device according tothe invention has a length between the hinge thereof and the couplingmeans for holding the case such that the case, when lowered from thecrane boom by means of the trolley hoist, is brought down into themagazine to deposit the round or rounds in a correct position in themagazine.

In the preferred embodiment the case-guiding device and the case itselfare provided with means for automatically interconnecting the catch armarray and the case before lowering the case and for releasing theinterconnection thus obtained after the rounds are deposited in themagazine by means of the case and the emptied case is hoisted. For thispurpose the case is provided with a single lifting eye for the hoistbook which is arranged preferably centrally on top of the case. The topof the case also mounts runners, such as rollers, which are disposedrearward of the lifting eye in reference to the gun. The rollers extendupwardly for cooperation with a guide track located on the bottom sideof the crane boom. The top side of the case, preferably near the forwardedge thereof, is further provided with abutment means cooperating withthe catch arm array so that upon lifting of the case by means of thehoist close to the crane boom at the rear end thereof and upon thenswinging of the forward end of the case toward the track underneath thecrane boom by pivoting the case about the runners, the abutment meanswill enter between the catch arm or catch arms of the catch arm arrayand protrude above the same as the case is brought forward along theboom. When the case has been moved forward so far that said abutmentmeans occupy the position above the catch arm or catch arms, thereleasable retaining means for the catch arms are released, forinstance, by said abutment means also acting as release means for theretaining means. The catch arm array can now swing downward intoengagement with the case. The coupling means of the catch arm array maysimply comprise a hook at the rear end of each catch arm, which hookengages a pivot pin secured to the case when the pivot pin is in aposition to be engageable with the hook when the catch arm array swingsdownward as the case is lowered. Upon further lowering of the case bymeans of the hoist, the case will finally enter the magazine, whilebeing held in a correct position by the catch arm array.

When the rounds contained in the case are deposited in the magazine, thecase is again hoisted tightly against the crane boom, and finally swingsupward with its front end whereby the runners act as pivots, the casetaking the catch arm array with it into a position in which theengagement between the coupling means of the case and the catch armarray are released. When the case is thereafter brought backward alongthe crane boom, the catch arm array is locked against downward movementby the retaining means acting between the catch arm array and the craneboom.

The invention will become more clearly apparent from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational side view of a gun equipped with anammunition-loading device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary detail view of the loading de vice; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the crane boom and otherparts of the loading device.

Broadly, FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the rear part of a gun providedwith a magazine for rounds of ammunition located on the elevationalsystem of the gun, and a crane boom located above the magazine andextending rearward of the magazine, FIG. 1 further showing supply orstorage case suspended from a hoist trolley running on tracks in thecrane boom. The catch arm array according to the invention is shown in aposition for catching the case when the same is brought forward by meansof the hoist trolley to a position above the magazine.

FIG. 2 shows in greater detail parts of the catch arm array, comprisingtwo catch arms, in three different positions, namely, (A) in a positionfor catching a case brought forward along the crane boom, (B) in aposition during lowering of the case by means of the hoist, and (C) in aposition after the case has again been hoisted and before the catch armarray returns into position A as the case is brought backward along theboom.

FIG. 3 shows details of the crane boom and the device according to theinvention while a supply case, here schematically illustrated as a box,is lowered by means of the hoist.

Referring now in greater detail to the figures, the illustrated guncomprises a mobile carriage 1 movable by means of track chains 2 andchain wheels 3. The carriage carries the elevational system of the gun,which is pivotally suspended in conventional horizontal pivot bearingsand is pivotal about the elevational axis of the gun, indicated at 5.The elevational system comprises the gun barrel 4, an ammunitionmagazine 6, and further, conventional means (not illustrated) foroperating the gun and arranged within an enclosure 7 and in connectionwith the magazine 6.

The hoisting device for conveying rounds from rearward of the gun to themagazine thereof is arranged above magazine 6 and enclosure 7. Itcomprises a crane boom 8, a trolley hoist 9 for lifting a case 10including rounds 11 by means of a hoist rope 13 attached to a liftingeye 12, arranged on top of the case, and for moving the case to themagazine 6 for loading the magazine. This loading is to be effected withthe elevational system elevated to a predetermined elevational angle,for instance, 35 to 40. For this purpose the crane boom 8 extends adistance behind the magazine 6, which in FIG. 1 is shown in its positionfor loading. The crane boom is mounted on the gun by means of a frontsupport 15, located at the forward end 14 of the boom, and a rearsupport, constituted by two bars 16 straddling the magazine 6 andattached to the crane boom 8 and the elevating system by means of joints17 and 18, respectively.

The catch arm array according to the invention comprises two mutuallyparallel catch arms 20 and is arranged below the crane boom 3 adjacentthe forward end 14 thereof and pivotal about an axis 21 in a hinge 22,which is attached to the boom. The catch arms extend backwardsufficiently to guide the case 10 into the proper position in relationto the magazine 6 when the case, after having been brought intoengagement with the catch arm array, is lowered by means of the hoist 9.

The catch arms each include at their rear ends a coupling membercomprising a hook 23, and the case 10 is provided with mating couplingmembers, shown as pivot pins 24. A releasable retaining means 25 forholding the catch arms in a position (position A of FIG. '2) relative tothe crane boom, in which position the pivot pins 24 are automaticallyengageable with the hooks of the catch arms, is arranged adjacent therear end of each or one of the catch arms. The retaining means isreleased when the case is brought forward along the boom, leaving thecatch arms free to swing downward toward the magazine, together with thecase, as the same is lowered by means of the hoist.

The retaining means 25, which is shown more in detail in FIG. 2,comprises a bell crank lever 27 carried by a pivot pin 26 on catch arms20, said lever 27 including an arm 27b terminating in a nose 27a, and anactuating arm 27c. The actuating arm extends backwards and is locatedabove the top surface of catch arms 20 and positioned for coaction witha release means 28 on the upper side of the case in front of the pivotpins 24 when the case is moved forward along the boom. The lever 27coacts with a lug or nose 29 on the boom 8, the nose 27a being forced bya spring 30 into engagement with lug 29 in the position of catch arms 20indicated by A, in which the catch arms occupy a position for engaging acase 10 brought forward along the boom.

When the case, after having been lifted up against the crane boomsufficiently to engage from below a rail 32 of the boom with rollers 31or other abutment means arranged on the case behind the lifting eye 12,is moved forward along the boom, the release means 28, which in thisposition is located immediately below the rail 32, will protrude betweenand above the catch arms 20, which are held in the position A of FIG. 2,and move toward and into engagement with arm 270 of the lever 27,thereby lifting the actuating arm and thus releasing the engagement ofthe retaining means. When now the case is lowered by means of the hoist,the catch arms are swung downward due to the action of the release means28, which also act as gripping means cooperating with the upper side ofthe catch arms, as can best be seen in FIG. 3. As a result, the hooks 23engage the pivot pins 24 of the case, which are located relative to therelease means 28 so as to be in positions for being engaged by the hooks23 when the retaining means is released by the forward movement of thecase, whereupon the catch arms swing downwardly druing the first part ofthe lowering of the Case.

The upper side of each catch arm is provided with a nose 33 againstwhich the release means 28 is forced as soon as the nose 27a on arm 27bis disengaged from the lug 29 as the case is lowered, thus providing fora further hold of the case relative to the catch arms. When the case isfurther lowered by means of the hoist, as illustrated at B in FIG. 2,the case is guided into a discharge position relative to the magazine,held therein by the hooks 23 and pressed against the nose 33 by the arm270.

After the rounds are released from the case and are deposited in themagazine, the case is again lifted by means of the hoist and guided bythe catch arms upward toward the crane boom until the rollers 31 finallyabut from below against rail 32. The case, when further lifted by thehoist, now swings about its rollers 31, whereby the coupling between thehooks 23 of the catch arms and the pivot pins 24 on the case isdisengaged and the catch arms are simultaneously swung upward into theposition indicated by C in FIG. 2. In this position of the catch arms,the arm 270 is actuated by the lug 29, so that arm 270 is lifted againstthe action of the spring 30, thereby freeing the release means 28 fromits position between arm 27c and nose 33, whereafter the case is movedbackward along the crane boom by means of the hoist trolley.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to acertain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention, it willbe undersood by those skilled in the art, after understanding theinvention, that various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it isintended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for loading rounds of ammunition into a magazine mounted ona gun, said loading device comprising, in combination, a case for asupply of rounds, a crane boom mounted on the gun above the magazinethereof and extending rearwardly of the gun, a trolley supported by saidboom for travel along the length thereof in either direction, a hoistingmeans suspended from said trolley for movement in unison with the sameand connectible to said round supply case for moving the same by meansof said trolley between a forward position substantially above themagazine and a rearward position at the rear end of the boom and forlowering and lifting the case in reference to the magazine, and guidemeans for said supply case, said guide means comprising a catch arm,pivot means mounted forward of said magazine in reference to the rearend of the boom and supporting one end of said arm for pivoting the samein a substantially perpendicular plane, and releasable coupling meansincluding a coupling member on the other end of said arm and a secondcoupling member on said supply case for moving said supply case into adischarge position in reference to said magazine by moving the case intoa position in which said coupling members are in engagement and pivotingsaid arm in said substantially perpendicular plane.

2. A loading device according to claim 1, wherein said arm is mounted onsaid boom extending below the same.

3. A loading device according to claim 1 and comprising releasableretaining means on said arm, said retaining means being engageable withsaid boom for retaining the arm in a position relative to the boom inwhich the coupling member on the arm is engageable with the couplingmember on the case when the latter is moved along the boom into acoupling position relative to the arm, and release means engageable withsaid retaining means for releasing the same.

4. A loading device according to claim 3, wherein said retaining meanscomprise a latch member pivotally mounted on said arm for movementbetween a latching position in which the arm is latched to the boom anda release position in which the arm is released from the boom, and anactuating member operable by the release means and coacting with saidlatch member for moving the same from its latching position into itsrelease position, and wherein said release means comprises a releasemember protruding from the case for engagement with said actuatingmember to operate the latter when the case is lifted close to the boomand moved along the boom into a position engaging the actuating member.

5. A loading device according to claim 4, wherein a bell crank lever ispivotally mounted on said arm, one arm of said lever constituting saidlatch member and the other arm said actuating member, and wherein saidrelease member comprises an arm extending upwardly from the top of thecase for engagement with said actuating lever arm to pivot the leverinto a position in which the latch arm of the lever is released from theboom.

6. A loading device according to claim and comprising spring meansurging said latch arm of the lever into engagement with the boom andsaid release arm into engagement with said catch arm for releasablylocking the case to the catch arm.

7. A loading device according to claim 6 and comprising a protrusion onsaid catch arm, said spring means urging said release arm against saidprotrusion.

8. A loading device according to claim 3 and comprising a casesuspension member for releasably attaching the case to said hoistingmeans, said suspension member being secured to the top of the casesubstantially at the center thereof, said release means being mounted onthe top of the case forwardly of said suspension member in reference tosaid magazine.

9. A loading device according to claim 3 and comprising a casesuspension member for releasably attaching the case to the hoistingmeans, said suspension member being secured to the top of the casesubstantially at the center thereof, said release means being mounted onthe top of the case forwardly of said suspension member in reference tosaid magazine, and a guide member mounted on the top of the caserearwardly of said suspension member, said guide member being engageablewith said boom when the case is lifted close to the boom for guiding thecase along the boom.

10. A loading device according to claim 9 and comprising a guide railmounted on the bottom side of the boom, said guide rail being engageablewith said guide member for guiding the latter.

11. A loading device according to claim 10, wherein said guide member isin the form of a roller.

12. A loading device according to claim 1 and comprising a guide railextending along the bottom surface of the boom, a retaining means onsaid arm coacting with the boom for holding said arm substantiallyparallel to said guide rail, release means on said case coacting withthe retaining means when the case is placed in a position in which thecoupling members are engageable with each other, a suspension member onthe case for securing the same to the hoisting means, a first abutmentmember mounted on the case forward of said suspension member inreference to the rear end of the boom, said abutment member beingengageable with an upper surface portion of said arm, a second abutmentmember mounted on said case rearward of said suspension member, saidsecond abutment member coacting with said guide rail for pivoting saidcase, upon lifting the same by the hoisting means into a predeterminedposition of lift in reference to the boom in which said first abutmentmember protrudes above the coupling member of the arm for engaging theupper surface of the arm, said coupling member secured to the case beingdisposed thereon between said first abutment member and said suspensionmember.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

FRED C. MATTERN, IR., Primary Examiner.

r W V f

1. A DEVICE FOR LOADING ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION INTO A MAGAZINE MOUNTED ONA GUN, SAID LOADING DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CASE FOR ASUPPLY OF ROUNDS, A CRANE BOOM MOUNTED ON THE GUN ABOVE THE MAGAZINETHEREOF AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY OF THE GUN, A TROLLEY SUPPORTED BY SAIDBOOM FOR TRAVEL ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF IN EITHER DIRECTION, A HOISTINGMEANS SUSPENDED FROM SAID TROLLEY FOR MOVEMENT IN UNISON WITH THE SAMEAND CONNECTIBLE TO SAID ROUND SUPPLY CASE FOR MOVING THE SAME BY MEANSOF SAID TROLLEY BETWEEN A FORWARD POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THEMAGAZINE AND A REARWARD POSITION AT THE REAR END OF THE BOOM AND FORLOWERING AND LIFTING THE CASE IN REFERENCE TO THE MAGAZINE, AND GUIDEMEANS FOR SAID SUPPLY CASE, SAID GUIDE MEANS COMPRISING A CATCH ARM,PIVOT MEANS MOUNTED FORWARD OF SAID MAGAZINE IN REFERENCE TO THE REAREND OF THE BOOM AND SUPPORTING ONE END OF SAID ARM FOR PIVOTING THE SAMEIN A SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR PLANE, AND RELEASABALE COUPLING MEANSINCLUDING A COUPLING MEMBER ON THE OTHER END OF SAID ARM AND A SECONDCOUPLING MEMBER ON SAID SUPPLY CASE FOR MOVING SAID SUPPLY CASE INTO ADISCHARGE POSITION IN REFERENCE TO SAID MAGAZINE BY MOVING THE CASE INTOA POSITION IN WHICH SAID COUPLING MEMBERS ARE IN ENGAGEMENT AND PIVOTINGSAID ARM IN SAID SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR PLANE.